FORMER president Rodrigo Duterte has questioned his arrest by Philippine National Police (PNP) authorities upon his return from Hong Kong, claiming he was unaware of the charges against him.
In an interview, Duterte challenged the legal basis for his detention at Villamore Air Base following his arrival on Tuesday morning, March 11.
Duterte’s former Executive Secretary, Salvador Medialdea, echoed the former president’s confusion, stating that Duterte was not informed of the specific charges against him. “You know, he wasn’t served with any charges. He doesn’t know. You know the charges against him, they’re in the newspapers,” Medialdea said.
Medialdea also expressed his bewilderment at the Philippines’ compliance with an entity that the country is no longer a member of, though he did not explicitly name the entity. This is widely understood to refer to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Medialdea questioned the validity of the arrest warrant issued against Duterte. Meanwhile, Duterte has stated that he will call the arresting officer to the stand during his trial, asking, “May I know the reason why? Have you read the documents, or at least have you read the case at the time you made the arrest? So you would be guided to what you should know.”
